Pool format
Seven-ball: rules and how to play
Nine-ball's shorter cousin, with each player restricted to one side of the table for the winning ball.
| Players | 2 |
|---|---|
| Length | 5–8 minutes a game |
| Equipment | Seven balls, hexagonal rack |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
The object of the game
Pocket the 7 ball in one of your three designated pockets.
Setting up
- Rack 1 through 7 in a hexagon with the 7 in the middle.
- The breaker's opponent chooses a side of the table; each player may only pocket the 7 on their own side.
The rules
Lowest first, 7 wins
Rotation rules apply. The 7 ends the game, but only in your three pockets.
The 7 in the wrong pocket is spotted
Put the 7 in your opponent's side and it goes back up, and your turn ends.
How a night of this actually runs
It takes 2 and runs about 5–8 minutes a game, which is the number that decides whether it suits your room more than any rule in it does. You need seven balls, hexagonal rack, and it sits at a intermediate level — so think about whether the weakest player in the room will still be enjoying it an hour in.
Compared with three strikes, the format this site is built around: that one takes any number of players, keeps everybody in the room for roughly two hours, and needs nothing but a rack and a way to count lives. Most of the games on this site are better as the game inside a night than as the shape of the night itself.
Is it any good in a bar?
A good short game and a rare one. Faster than nine-ball, and the side restriction adds a layer of tactics without slowing anything down.